Hardrockers fight competition, wind at Bauer Invite

SDM senior Tyler Flattum gets a good lead on the rest of the field as he clears the last obstacle of the 110 high hurdle race Saturday at O’Harra Stadium in Rapid City during the Bauer Invite. Photo by Brad Blume
By Brad Blume
Hardrockers fight competition, wind at Bauer Invite
Sports Information Director
South Dakota School of Mines
RAPID CITY --- Despite high wind gust the entire day, the South Dakota School of Mines track team was able to host the Bauer Invitational track meet Saturday at O’Harra Stadium in Rapid City.
“The meet went fairly smoothly,” said Hardrocker head track coach Jerry Schafer. “We didn’t get to have a meet last year and we had a couple kinks to work out (this year). But our kids did a great job of helping run the meet and helping out their fellow athletes.”
SDM put on the event, inviting five other schools to participate, including: Black Hills State, Dickinson State, Dakota Wesleyan University and Montana State---Billings.
“It was great to see a few new faces from DWU and Montana State—Billings,” Schafer said. “We normally don’t see them in competition.”
The Hardrockers delivered some outstanding performances, winning three event titles, and automatically qualifying one thinclad to the NAIA National Outdoor Meet in May.
‘Rocker Senior Tyler Flattum (Bristol, S.D.) set a personal best mark in the 110-meter high hurdles, winning the event in the process and qualifying him for the NAIA Outdoor Meet May 22-24 in St Louis, MO. He finished the race in a time of 14.65 seconds.
“Tyler competed very well and got a personal best by quite a bit,” Schafer said. “He looked good and was aggressive. Tyler attacked the hurdles very well.”
Flattum also competed in the 100 dash where he managed to secure third place with a time of 11.38.
“Tyler won his heat in the 100 dash,�� Schafer added. “He is right where he needs to be (at this point in the season) and he should be sharpened up by Nationals and have a shot at placing and be in the Top 6 (All American status).” Flattum competed at the NAIA indoor meet last year and also participated at the national indoor meet earlier in March.
SD Mines Senior Chandler Caldwell, who has already automatically qualified for the national outdoor meet, earned first place in the pole vault Saturday after clearing 15-feet-9-inches. That height is a season best for the Thornton, Colo., native despite a very annoying tail wind during the event. During one of Caldwell’s attempts, the wind blew his pole causing him to run through the try.
“The wind was a little tough on him,” Schafer said. “It was difficult to manage at times. He was hoping to get the stadium record at 16-3. He had a couple good attempts (at that height.)”
Caldwell is a two-time All American in the pole vault, breaking 16 feet during the NAIA Indoor Meet earlier this march for a third-place finish. He also earned sixth place last year at the outdoor championships.
“He continues to improve and gain confidence,” Schafer added about Caldwell’s senior tour.
Sophomore Katrina Donovan was the other event winner for South Dakota Mines, taking top honors in the women’s javelin after a throw of 100-7. The mark was a personal best for Donovan of Martin, S.D., and it was the first time in her college career that she had breached the 100-foot mark.
“We were a little surprised by her first-place finish,” Schafer said. “Kat didn’t even realize that she won, but she was really excited to set a new personal best mark. She also had a good day in the shot put and discus.”
Donovan earned ninth place in the shot put after a toss of 34-2.5 and then secured sixth in the discus with a measurement of 116-8.
Lady Hardrocker junior Ashley Stewart also competed in the discus, where the Scotland, S.D., native took fifth place with a distance of 118-8 for a personal best mark. She also was competitive in the women’s high jump, clearing a height of 4-10.25 for a share of fifth place.
The SDM track coaching staff goes over some final details before the start of the Bauer Invitational Saturday at the O’Harra Stadium press box. Pictured from the left are: Hardrocker head track coach Jerry Schafer, assistant coach Beth Honaker and assistant coach Mitch Ruedebusch. Photo by Brad Blume.
In the men’s throwing events, junior Matt Deardoff (Brandon, S.D.) had a very consistent day, taking third in both the shot put and the discus. He had a throw of 48-8 in the shot put and then tossed the discus 135-11.
“Matt improved five feet in the discus and had a personal best in the shot put for third place,” Schafer added. SDM freshman Brittney Hovdenes impressed in her first ever 3,000 steeplechase. She finished in a time of 12:52.71 for second place. She then came back and turned in a competitive time of 2:43.19 in the 800 run for eighth place.
“Brittney had good technique (in the steeple chase),” Schafer said. “I expect her to improve in this event (the more she runs it).”
Other Hardrocker highlights of Saturday’s meet include: Kendra Crisman ran solid races in both the 1,500 and 800 runs. In the 1,500, the Rapid City freshman improved a personal best time by five seconds, posting a 5:17.10 for seventh place and then put forth a great effort for fourth place in the 800 in a time of 2:38.07; freshman Kim Kerce (Colorado Springs, Colo.) ran to a second-place finish and close to a personal best in the 5,000 clocking a time of 22:57.42; Jason Simmons (sophomore from New Underwood) did an impressive job in the 100 dash, competing in the race for the first time since he was in high school and finished Saturday with a mark of 11.38; sophomore Dustin Jordan (Pierre, S.D.) earned a personal best in the 400 dash, clocking a time of 52.20; senior Rob Hahn (Sioux Falls, S.D.) shaved over a second off his season best time in the 1,500 run, earning second place in a time of 4:14.74; freshman Lucas Fried (Kodiak, Ala.) improved his time in the 400 high hurdles posting a mark of 1:03.09 for ninth place; freshman Nathan Snyder had a 12-foot improvement in the hammer throw for a personal best mark of 114-6 for 10th place; and Mark Baue had a career distance in the javelin, throwing it 149-4 for sixth place.
Hardrocker sophomore Marcus Moor plunges into the water at the east end of the track at O’Harra Stadium Saturday during the 3,000-meter steeple chase. Photo by Brad Blume.
“We did very well considering it was fairly windy and difficult to compete in those conditions,” Schafer said. “Throw in the fact that it was our meet and the coaches really didn’t get a chance to coach (because of running the meet), our athletes were able to relax and just competed well.”
The Hardrockers will next travel to Spearfish Friday for the Frostbite Invite hosted by Black Hills State. The event starts at 12 p.m.

Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.

SDM senior Tyler Flattum gets a good lead on the rest of the field as he clears the last obstacle of the 110 high hurdle race Saturday at O’Harra Stadium in Rapid City during the Bauer Invite. Photo by Brad Blume
By Brad Blume
Hardrockers fight competition, wind at Bauer Invite
Sports Information Director
South Dakota School of Mines
RAPID CITY --- Despite high wind gust the entire day, the South Dakota School of Mines track team was able to host the Bauer Invitational track meet Saturday at O’Harra Stadium in Rapid City.
“The meet went fairly smoothly,” said Hardrocker head track coach Jerry Schafer. “We didn’t get to have a meet last year and we had a couple kinks to work out (this year). But our kids did a great job of helping run the meet and helping out their fellow athletes.”
SDM put on the event, inviting five other schools to participate, including: Black Hills State, Dickinson State, Dakota Wesleyan University and Montana State---Billings.
“It was great to see a few new faces from DWU and Montana State—Billings,” Schafer said. “We normally don’t see them in competition.”
The Hardrockers delivered some outstanding performances, winning three event titles, and automatically qualifying one thinclad to the NAIA National Outdoor Meet in May.
‘Rocker Senior Tyler Flattum (Bristol, S.D.) set a personal best mark in the 110-meter high hurdles, winning the event in the process and qualifying him for the NAIA Outdoor Meet May 22-24 in St Louis, MO. He finished the race in a time of 14.65 seconds.
“Tyler competed very well and got a personal best by quite a bit,” Schafer said. “He looked good and was aggressive. Tyler attacked the hurdles very well.”
Flattum also competed in the 100 dash where he managed to secure third place with a time of 11.38.
“Tyler won his heat in the 100 dash,�� Schafer added. “He is right where he needs to be (at this point in the season) and he should be sharpened up by Nationals and have a shot at placing and be in the Top 6 (All American status).” Flattum competed at the NAIA indoor meet last year and also participated at the national indoor meet earlier in March.
SD Mines Senior Chandler Caldwell, who has already automatically qualified for the national outdoor meet, earned first place in the pole vault Saturday after clearing 15-feet-9-inches. That height is a season best for the Thornton, Colo., native despite a very annoying tail wind during the event. During one of Caldwell’s attempts, the wind blew his pole causing him to run through the try.
“The wind was a little tough on him,” Schafer said. “It was difficult to manage at times. He was hoping to get the stadium record at 16-3. He had a couple good attempts (at that height.)”
Caldwell is a two-time All American in the pole vault, breaking 16 feet during the NAIA Indoor Meet earlier this march for a third-place finish. He also earned sixth place last year at the outdoor championships.
“He continues to improve and gain confidence,” Schafer added about Caldwell’s senior tour.
Sophomore Katrina Donovan was the other event winner for South Dakota Mines, taking top honors in the women’s javelin after a throw of 100-7. The mark was a personal best for Donovan of Martin, S.D., and it was the first time in her college career that she had breached the 100-foot mark.
“We were a little surprised by her first-place finish,” Schafer said. “Kat didn’t even realize that she won, but she was really excited to set a new personal best mark. She also had a good day in the shot put and discus.”
Donovan earned ninth place in the shot put after a toss of 34-2.5 and then secured sixth in the discus with a measurement of 116-8.
Lady Hardrocker junior Ashley Stewart also competed in the discus, where the Scotland, S.D., native took fifth place with a distance of 118-8 for a personal best mark. She also was competitive in the women’s high jump, clearing a height of 4-10.25 for a share of fifth place.
The SDM track coaching staff goes over some final details before the start of the Bauer Invitational Saturday at the O’Harra Stadium press box. Pictured from the left are: Hardrocker head track coach Jerry Schafer, assistant coach Beth Honaker and assistant coach Mitch Ruedebusch. Photo by Brad Blume.
In the men’s throwing events, junior Matt Deardoff (Brandon, S.D.) had a very consistent day, taking third in both the shot put and the discus. He had a throw of 48-8 in the shot put and then tossed the discus 135-11.
“Matt improved five feet in the discus and had a personal best in the shot put for third place,” Schafer added. SDM freshman Brittney Hovdenes impressed in her first ever 3,000 steeplechase. She finished in a time of 12:52.71 for second place. She then came back and turned in a competitive time of 2:43.19 in the 800 run for eighth place.
“Brittney had good technique (in the steeple chase),” Schafer said. “I expect her to improve in this event (the more she runs it).”
Other Hardrocker highlights of Saturday’s meet include: Kendra Crisman ran solid races in both the 1,500 and 800 runs. In the 1,500, the Rapid City freshman improved a personal best time by five seconds, posting a 5:17.10 for seventh place and then put forth a great effort for fourth place in the 800 in a time of 2:38.07; freshman Kim Kerce (Colorado Springs, Colo.) ran to a second-place finish and close to a personal best in the 5,000 clocking a time of 22:57.42; Jason Simmons (sophomore from New Underwood) did an impressive job in the 100 dash, competing in the race for the first time since he was in high school and finished Saturday with a mark of 11.38; sophomore Dustin Jordan (Pierre, S.D.) earned a personal best in the 400 dash, clocking a time of 52.20; senior Rob Hahn (Sioux Falls, S.D.) shaved over a second off his season best time in the 1,500 run, earning second place in a time of 4:14.74; freshman Lucas Fried (Kodiak, Ala.) improved his time in the 400 high hurdles posting a mark of 1:03.09 for ninth place; freshman Nathan Snyder had a 12-foot improvement in the hammer throw for a personal best mark of 114-6 for 10th place; and Mark Baue had a career distance in the javelin, throwing it 149-4 for sixth place.
Hardrocker sophomore Marcus Moor plunges into the water at the east end of the track at O’Harra Stadium Saturday during the 3,000-meter steeple chase. Photo by Brad Blume.
“We did very well considering it was fairly windy and difficult to compete in those conditions,” Schafer said. “Throw in the fact that it was our meet and the coaches really didn’t get a chance to coach (because of running the meet), our athletes were able to relax and just competed well.”
The Hardrockers will next travel to Spearfish Friday for the Frostbite Invite hosted by Black Hills State. The event starts at 12 p.m.

The work from which this copy was made did not include a formal copyright notice. This work may be protected by U. S. copyright law (Title 17, United States Code), which governs reproduction, distribution, public display, and other uses of protected works. Uses may be allowed with permission from the copyright holder, if the copyright on the work has expired, or if the use is fair use or within another legal exemption. The user of this work is responsible for compliance with the law.